Falcon Wind Turbine: Versatile & Efficient Power Generation

Innovative Windpower AG, a German manufacturer of wind turbines, has developed the Falcon 1.25 MW model to be the most efficient and versatile wind turbine ever created. It is designed for use in challenging new locations as well as existing wind farms, with substantial advantages over competitors in both its construction process and operation.
Innovative Windpower realized that wind power generation requires more than just wind. Accessibility to the project site and local transportation infrastructure can make or break a project before the turbine blades ever spin. And environmental conditions like desert heat and dust can create maintenance nightmares for the wrong equipment. So instead of building the biggest or highest-output turbine, IW set out to create a mid-size turbine that could be applied to a wide variety of new wind power projects as well as existing ones.

The modular design of the Falcon system means that construction can be completed even in remote areas or harsh environments. And the components can be transported in standard shipping containers, thus opening potential project sites that previously lacked the accessibility for installing turbines.

Innovative Windpower's Falcon 1.25 MW Wind Turbine (photo: I.W.)

Streamlining maintenance was a crucial element of the Falcon turbine design. Innovative Windpower’s “Automated Field Service Feedback System” provides remote, real-time RFID performance data to minimize service requirements. The Integrated Tubular Gearbox System was designed for maximum durability and reliability, and all service on the Falcon turbines can be performed without the hassle and expense of external cranes.

The Falcon 1.25 MW turbine is so versatile, it offers rotor blades in diameters ranging from 62m to 70m to handle any wind class. The gearbox and generator are optimized for mid-speed winds, yet they maintain impressive efficiency over a wide variety of conditions. Innovative Windpower is also planning to produce 3.5 – 4.5 MW turbines to utilize some of the Falcon’s design solutions for larger scale applications.

Sounds good. The problem is, I come across too many wind turbine designs these days each claiming pretty much the same benefits – more modular, more efficient and so on. I think the key issue is price – how much does this cost? Remember, wind turbines go at around $1-1.5 million per MW, so this has to fall in that range for it to be competitive.

And as ThisIsNo has said before, perhaps it can work at lower wind speeds, but somewhere it’s gonna hit you…no free lunch.